


rage enough inside you

by secretfeanorian



Series: made of starlight [6]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings Online
Genre: Gen, Glittering Caves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-10
Updated: 2015-07-10
Packaged: 2018-04-08 14:12:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4308183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretfeanorian/pseuds/secretfeanorian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finally, Rawlind finds herself face to face with the reason she and Lothrandir were dragged to Isengard, but there isn't time for anything more than a swift death. (She tries not to be bitter about this)</p>
            </blockquote>





	rage enough inside you

_I clench my fists and try not to scream and I tuck my friends in my heart and revenge I think has never looked so sweet.  
_

* * *

The Glittering Caves live up to their name and Rawlind is left blinking for several moments as her eyes struggle to adjust. When they finally do, she focuses on the dwarf standing a pace or so in front of her. When he sees he has her attention, he gestures down the path before them, saying “This way, Rawlind. We must make safe this cavern.”  
  
Rawlind rolls her shoulders, wincing as she aggravates the series of bruises along her body. The earlier hours of the battle have not been kind to her and the unfamiliar armor weighs heavily around her light frame. When Gimli begins to run, however, she follows him without complaint, Mai-nalláma trailing after her.  
  
They have only traveled a short distance before Gimli pauses. “Did you hear that?” He asks and Rawlind’s brow furrows. She had not heard anything, but it has been several days since she was able to sleep more than an hour or two at once. “There is something ahead of us, I am sure of it!” He continues, and Rawlind’s hand drifts down to the sword at her hip.  
  
Before either warrior can say anything, a child’s voice calls out: “Who goes there?” and Rawlind relaxes, if only a little bit. A young girl climbs over to the path, but waves off Rawlind’s inquiry before the lore-master can even open her mouth. “There is no time to talk!” She whispers, her voice unusually urgent for someone so young. “My mother is hiding with the others, but I heard something back here and came to see what it was. Do you know what I found?” The girl looks around quickly, nervously, and then says in an even softer whisper: “Villains! Villains from Dunland!”  
  
Despite the worry that statement brings and the potential danger it presents to all those seeking shelter in the caves, Rawlind can’t help the vengeful flash of hope that enters her at those words. Gimli and she share a glance and while it is clear he doesn’t understand the exact emotion in her eyes, the danger of the situation is unmistakable to anyone.  
  
As quietly as possible, the foursome advance up the path until voices can be heard. An unfamiliar one says “We must be getting near to the shelter, Brenin!” but the voice that follows is seared into Rawlind’s mind and even more unmistakable than the danger of the situation they have found themselves in.  
  
“Good.” Lheu Brenin responds, “Ready your weapons.” At that moment, the party of Dunlendings notices the presence of their three watchers. (Rawlind notes that Mai has once again disappeared.)  
  
“These folk are not unarmed!” One warrior cries out and another adds, “What are they doing here?”  
  
The brenin’s eyes scan the ragged group before him, but stop on Rawlind and narrow. It takes him a minute to recognize her in the unfamiliar livery, but when he does, his eyes widen and he spits her name out with so much venom, one would think he had been the one who was betrayed. The warriors surrounding him all start and those who had not previously drawn their weapons cannot seem to do so quickly enough.  
  
Rawlind glances at the half-dozen faces before her, but is disappointed to see that Iwan is not among them. Lheu Brenin speaks again, this time sounding far calmer and (thankfully) less like the injured party. “We come once more face to face, Rawlind, and once more you find yourself outmatched.” Rawlind snorts angrily, her lip curled with hatred. The brenin continues on as if he had heard nothing. “Before you stand the finest of my warriors, and I the strongest of them all.”  
  
“That I do not doubt,” Rawlind interrupts once more, “but that will not save you.”  
  
“You cannot best all of us!” He sneers back. “I have been promised a king’s reward by my ally Saruman for the death of Rohan’s people, and you will not stop me. I know its women and children shelter in the caves behind you, and my force of loyal Falcons will kill any they find.” His tone now turns mocking, “You think to stop me with such allies as I see before me? A single dwarf and one child?” Rawlind tenses and eases the staff from her back. He pretends to ignore her movement, but none can ignore the way his eyes follow her almost nervously. “I do not know these others,” Lheu attempts to conclude dismissively, but Gimli cuts him off before he can say any more.  
  
“I am Gimli, son of Gloin, but that is no concern of yours.” The dwarf’s axe is drawn and Rawlind isn’t sure when it had come out. “If you creep into these caves to do harm to its folk, it is my axe you will meet instead.”  
  
“Hmph.” Lheu Brenin says. Rawlind hesitates to describe him as pouting, but he could be. “Dwarves,” He finishes in a low grumble.  
  
Gimli ignores him momentarily, although he does not turn his back on the Dunlendings. “Who is this blustery man, Rawlind?” He asks, but gets no response. Rawlind is using a great deal of strength to keep the hatred off her face. Somehow sensing this, he continues with: “He is no friend of yours, and that makes him no friend of mine. I do not like his words or his tone. Let us teach him not to ally with Wizards who cannot tell the difference between evil and good!”  
  
Seemingly tired of not having their attention on him, Lheu Brenin speaks up once more, with a more decisive tone to his voice. “I thought to find these caves filled with unarmed horse-folk, but your presence changes nothing. Kill them, my warriors! Then you will have your prize.”  
  
The six warriors surrounding their brenin spring into action, with one crying out; “The talons of the Falcon will take your life!”  
  
Rawlind rolls her eyes at him and he is the first to fall, from the forceful swing of Rawlind’s staff. The other five warriors don’t fall quite as rapidly, but fall they do, and soon the brenin is left standing alone. The final warrior to fall, a woman who Rawlind recognizes but whose name she can’t quite remember, lands a brutal punch to Rawlind’s torso and – already weakened from the last few hours and exhausted on top of that – she falls to her knees, gasping in pain.  
  
Lheu Brenin smirks and the Rohirrim girl behind them gasps. There is a pause, then she cries out “You can do it, Rawlind! I know that you can defeat this villain! Stand strong for Rohan and for Théoden King!”  
  
Rawlind does not even pause to wonder how the child knows her name as she normally would. The girl knows nothing of Lheu Brenin’s treachery in Dunland, but her belief in the lore-master standing weakened before her, combined with the hate and grief bubbling up within Rawlind, is enough to bring her to her feet once more, with some new trove of energy that had previously eluded her.  
  
“I should never have let you leave Tâl Methedras alive,” Lheu Brenin spits, “Now I will remedy that mistake!” His weapon already drawn, he jumps toward Rawlind and their swords meet with a clang while her staff whirls in her other hand, drawing a cloud of frosty mist around them. “You strike hard, but it will not be enough!” He taunts and Rawlind heaves, throwing him backwards a few steps.  
  
Suddenly, Mai-nalláma roars from somewhere nearby and charges at the brenin. With the traitor thus distracted, Rawlind raises her staff upward and feels sparks dance between her hands. “Get back!” Is the only warning both Gimli and Lheu get before lightning slams down all around the brenin. He stumbles, but does not fall.  
  
“You have become stronger, Rawlind,” He pants.  
  
“You have never fought me before,” She shoots back, “Always you have let your warriors try and fail or hidden behind the numbers of those you command; too frightened to meet me on equal ground for you always knew you would lose.”  
  
He snarls and attempts to kick Mai in the head. The cat dodges, but his kick may not have even mattered. “I will rip you apart!” He yells and charges at Rawlind once more. Gimli attacks from behind and, angrily, the brenin swings around and shouts “Take this!” as his axe connects with Gimli’s chest. Winded, the dwarf falls, but before a killing blow can be delivered, Rawlind tosses a handful of burning embers at Lheu’s back and he has to rush to put them out.  
  
In that moment of respite, Rawlind moves between the brenin and the fallen dwarf. His breath is coming now in deep gasps, but still he remains strong. “How many of your friends have I slain, Rawlind?” He jeers, “I will not stop now. I will continue until none remain, and Saruman will pay me a sum worth a dragon’s hoard for the favor.”  
  
“Oh, I rather doubt he will,” The calm retort manages to betray none of the hate simmering just beneath Rawlind’s skin and again they engage. It seems barely moments before Lheu Brenin is thrown back and it becomes clear that he is weakening.  
  
“This man is less than a worm!” The girl suddenly cries out. “He is no man at all, but a thrall of Saruman’s, thinking only of his reward and caring nothing for anyone; not for the people of his tribe with whom he should have a bond, nor for my people, who have done him no wrong!” The girl is angry now and Rawlind senses she is preparing to jump into the fray. “I will not let him threaten my family or my king!” Then, to the obvious surprise of the brenin, she pulls a dagger from…somewhere and charges toward the Dunlending.  
  
Desperately, he pleads. “No…wait…listen…” But neither of the warriors pay him any mind. In a last, frantic attempt to survive, he manages to knock both of Rawlind’s main weapons from her grasp, but Carca remains and she twists, grabs the dagger from her boot, and plunges it into Lheu Brenin’s heart. With a startled expression on his face, the man falls and silence reigns over the cave for a few moments before Gimli groans and gets to his feet.  
  
Rawlind replaces Carca in her boot and picks her staff and sword from the ground where they had fallen. The expected feeling of joy does not come and Rawlind feels only numbness. She is aware of Gimli speaking, but cannot seem to make herself focus on his words.  
  
A few minutes pass before Rawlind is able to shake off the daze clouding her thoughts and she does so just as Gimli and the girl turn to walk towards the group hiding in the caves. With one last, hate-filled look at the corpses lying on the ground, she turns to follow. The battle is not yet won.

**Author's Note:**

> A good chunk of the dialogue in this is directly from the in-game quest Secret Ways, with minor adjustments made, as well as adjustments made to the fight to help it flow better (in my opinion).


End file.
